I love this Cain-trapped-in-amber image, except that the idea of a future entrepreneur creating an island attraction where former disgraced presidential candidates are cloned from their preserved DNA to roam free is terrifying.
Herman Cain has withdrawn from the GOP presidential nomination competition in the wake of Ginger White’s claims that he and she engaged in a 13-year long romantic affair. He withdrew in a particularly deceitful way, saying that his campaign was being suspended. Like most of his recent conduct and statements lately, this resort to face-saving euphemism does not speak well of his character. Yes, it’s true, his quest for the White House is suspended. It is also what is technically called toast. A more honest, courageous, candid and accountable man would have said so. I think we can safety say that one way or the other, this campaign took the measure of Herman Cain, and found him to be as wanting in character as he is inexperience and diligence. The system, ugly as it is, worked.
What else can we now fairly say of Herman Cain? I believe we can fairly conclude that…
1) Ginger White is more or less telling the truth.
2) Herman Cain is lying about her.
3) His credibility regarding his other denials in the sexual harassment accusations must be regarded in the light of his dishonesty in this one.
4) He cannot be trusted by the public, and therefore is not fit to be President.
Cain quit the race rather than make the effort to prove his innocence, which was eminently provable if it was true. When Sean Hannity told Cain that White’s stories of specific hotel and restaurant rendezvous could be checked out, Cain replied that now “wasn’t the time” for detective work. What? When a serious presidential candidate’s reputation is under attack by a scurrilous liar, which is what White would be if she were characterizing her relationship with Cain, detective work is not only timely, it is mandatory. A lie cannot be left alone to rob the nation of a qualified leader. There is only one reason why Cain would refuse to support a thorough investigation into White’s veracity—if he knew it would prove she was telling the truth, and he was the liar. Sometimes failure to defend oneself vigorously is sufficient proof that an accusation is true. This is one of those times.
What is fair to Herman Cain? Fair to Herman Cain is to regard him as…
- …an arrogant huckster and an egotist who…
- …at a critical period in the nation’s life, wasted the its time with a deceptive, lazy and unserious campaign that…
- …misrepresented the man at the center of it as a tonic for what ails its national leadership, when he was really a symptom that malady.
The next question that requires answering is this:
Why, when Herman Cain’s candidacy is ending because of the character deficits revealed by a clandestine affair, are Republicans flocking to New Gingrich, whose own extra-marital affairs revealed have him as untrustworthy, cruel, calculating, dishonest and hypocritical?
I don’t have an answer to that one yet.
Ethics Alarms 
“Sometimes failure to defend oneself vigorously is sufficient proof that an accusation is true. This is one of those times.”
This reminds me of when Anthony Weiner was initially saying that his Twitter account was hacked, but refused to say that the picture was not of him.
–Dwayne
A great example.
I think they want Newt Gingrich because they’re so desperate for a not-Romney candidate. Why else would they have flirted with Bachmann and Cain, both of whom were also very obviously not President material? They’re putting politics over character right now, and what they really want is a conservative bomb-thrower, regardless of his past.
I don’t know who “they” are. “They” are either ignorant, confused or unethical. I’m taking bets that Newt will not in fact be the nominee, for reasons I have articulated elsewhere. George Will does a great job of it in todays papers.
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Too many times I give people the benefit of the doubt. It is possibly because I really want to see people in a positive light. I had and have problems with their ethical shortcomings. Examples include Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, King Solomon, King David and Newt Gingrich. In many of your blogs, you judge the leadership qualities according to their ethics. I don’t know if you are a Christian or not. And whether it makes a difference in your judgements. But I guess I can’t but wonder what your criteria for a leader is? Many of the great leaders in the Bible and history have had deficiencies in the area of ethics.
A leader is supposed to project exemplary character traits; in practice leadership will stretch traditional ethical virtues. The deft leaders can be inspiring role models while breaking the necessary eggs. In a democracy, a leader has to be trusted, not only to be competent, but also to be honest, fair and courageous.
ALL leaders have ethical deficiencies, especially since they almost have to be egocentric and narcissistic, even sociopathic. Nevertheless, we have to hold leaders to the highest possible standards, wince its a good bet that whoever we choose will be worse than they look. My rule is that a leader who has proved himself to be dishonest and without integrity is a worse bet to be trustworthy than someone who hasn’t yet proved that. Honestly—is it that hard to avoid a major scandal, sexual harassment charges, extra-marital affairs, or to refrain from tweeting a picture of your junk to girls??
My number one criteria for leaders is that they be able to persuade people to follow them. I don’t follow people who I don’t trust, believe or respect…nobody should. Do you?
I know, you don’t like him, but PZ Myers nailed this topic: “Finally, Herman Cain has suspended his presidential campaign under a cloud of accusations of sexual harassment and adultery, clearing the field for…Newt Gingrich? Philanderer and sleazebag? This is not a step up in ethics.”
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/12/03/cain-is-out/
PZ’s not stupid. Anyone that rejects Cain for his conduct with women and embraces Newt is. Good quote.